By Norrasyidah Arshad
SHAH ALAM, Oct 28 — Selangor has set its focus on five key sectors in the state as it looks to achieve its goal of promoting sustainable development, said state executive councillor for environment Jamaliah Jamaluddin.
Namely, these sectors are disaster resilience and management; low-carbon; biodiversity and natural resources; water management; and waste management.
“These sectors were chosen based on the state and global environmental conditions, their current status, and research findings that align with the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDG) by 2035.
“The First Selangor Plan that launched last year takes a similar strategic approach, based on environmental, social, and governance principles,” she said when launching the state-level National Environment Day 2023 celebration, here, today.
She was reading a speech text prepared by Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
Jamaliah said the state is in the midst of establishing a Green Council which will serve as a platform to discuss policies, strategies, and the implementation of environmentally, technologically, and climate-oriented initiatives in the future.
“The council acts as a one-stop centre that brings together relevant agencies, professionals, academics and the private sector.
“This team will discuss a broad range of issues and find solutions. The proposal to set up this council has already been raised in the state executive council meeting for further action, including determining the budget allocation,” she said.
Later, when speaking to reporters, Jamaliah said electric waste disposal kiosks will be placed at three petrol stations across her Bandar Utama constituency to facilitate the public in disposing of old devices.
She said the initiative in collaboration with BHPetrol and Petronas, which is expected to kickstart by the end of this year, will serve as a pilot project before it is expanded to more locations.
“Yes, we do have electronic waste disposal facilities in local councils, but not all have them. This makes it difficult for the public to dispose of their gadgets.
“With this kiosk, it makes things easier. People can come at any time,” she said, adding that the facility, however, can only cater to small devices like batteries, mobile phones and portable powerbanks.
Jamaliah said she will also work together with the Environment Department to monitor the kiosks, including on the aspect of safety.
“We will monitor the frequency of the electronic waste collections so as not to trigger any safety concerns. We will also see if it is indeed suitable to place the kiosks at petrol stations.”
